Global Innovation Day to showcase eight innovative solutions to business, technological and public-sector management challenges in the Basque Country

The initiatives to be presented at the 15th edition of the Basque Country’s major innovation event cover areas including the circular economy, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and smart city management

The selected projects come from Innobasque’s seventh call for innovation case studies, which received 52 proposals from 45 Basque organisations across the four areas covered by the call: science-to-innovation transfer, artificial intelligence, industrial diversification and the public administration as a driver of innovation

Global Innovation Day will take place on 17 November, from 16:00 to 19:00, at the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao. Admission is free, subject to prior registration and venue capacity

The Basque Innovation Agency, Innobasque, has selected eight case studies to be presented on 17 November at the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao during the 15th edition of Global Innovation Day, the annual event dedicated to innovation in the Basque Country. Each edition brings together stakeholders from the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation System to share experiences, knowledge and innovative solutions for addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The eight selected cases reflect the diversity of innovation in the Basque Country and its capacity to translate knowledge into practical solutions. From the circular economy and artificial intelligence to industrial diversification and improvements in public services, the projects demonstrate how collaboration between companies, scientific and technological organisations and public authorities can address specific challenges and generate economic, social and environmental value.

The cases were selected from the 52 proposals submitted by 45 organisations to the seventh edition of the call for Innovation Case Studies in the Basque Country, launched by Innobasque last June. All approved cases will be added to the Innobasque Innovation Case Study Repository, which aims to inspire other organisations and encourage the exchange of knowledge.

The eight cases to be presented at Global Innovation Day fall into the four categories covered by the call: science-to-innovation transfer, the application of artificial intelligence to innovation processes, diversification into new science- and technology-based sectors, and the public administration as a driver of innovation.

From scientific research to new solutions

Three of the selected cases demonstrate how scientific and technological knowledge can be transferred to the market to address specific needs.

The AGGREGACO2 mineralisation project, promoted by Bizkaia-based Biscay Eco Aggregates, a company owned by ALBA Emission Free Energy (Petronor) and the British company O.C.O. Technology, has launched a plant at the Port of Bilbao that transforms industrial waste from Petronor in Muskiz into synthetic aggregates for the construction industry with a lower carbon footprint. The facility uses technology that captures CO₂ in the waste and converts it into new materials. The initiative is supported by the European Commission’s Innovation Fund.

Collaboration between research organisations and companies is also driving BIOGEARS, a project developing biodegradable ropes for aquaculture as an alternative to those made from fossil-based plastics. The initiative is based on Blue Lab, the open innovation and co-creation methodology developed by AZTI, a technology centre based in Bizkaia, and involves GAIKER and ITSASKORDA, also from Bizkaia, Irish company ERINN Limited and Belgian technology centre CENTEXBEL, together with various stakeholders from across the aquaculture value chain. The aim is to bring scientific knowledge closer to the needs of the sector and make progress towards more sustainable materials.

CIC nanoGUNE, a research centre in Gipuzkoa, provides the scientific expertise underpinning Novanano Medical, a Donostia-San Sebastián-based company developing technologies to improve the safety of surgical implants, reduce bacterial adhesion and promote their integration into bone. The project combines research with clinical and industrial validation through a collaborative network involving hospitals, manufacturers and other stakeholders within the Basque ecosystem. Founded at the end of 2025, the company is currently at the pre-commercial development stage of its technology.

Artificial intelligence applied to innovation

Artificial intelligence is at the heart of two further cases, demonstrating its application both in climate risk management and in improving industrial processes.

Tecnalia, a technology centre in Bizkaia, and Team Ingeniería y Consultoría, a Bizkaia-based company, are driving FAST (Flood Advisor Service Technologies) through Intellialert Technologies, a company established by the two organisations. The platform uses artificial intelligence to predict flooding and other climate-related events. To do so, it integrates meteorological, hydrological and geospatial data to generate early warnings and anticipate risks.

Meanwhile, Lantek, a technology company based in Álava, is leading the development of Lantek iQuoting, a tool that applies artificial intelligence to quotation processes in the sheet metal cutting industry. The solution draws on real production data and the industrial knowledge accumulated by Lantek over decades to calculate the costs of parts and assemblies in a matter of seconds, taking into account variables such as material consumption, waste and machine time. The project has involved the collaboration of Ikerlan, based in Arrasate/Mondragon, Gipuzkoa, as its technology centre partner, and has received funding from the Hazitek programme.

Technology-driven industrial diversification

The transformation of a traditional industrial company to access new markets is represented by Troquelerías Enkarterri, based in Alonsotegi, Bizkaia.

After four decades working in die manufacturing and the automotive sector, the company has implemented a digital architecture connecting design, programming, simulation, manufacturing using computer numerical control (CNC) machines, and metrology and quality processes.

This integration has facilitated diversification into sectors such as aerospace, defence and energy, reducing the company’s dependence on the automotive industry. The process has received support from various SPRI programmes, including Industria Digitala and Fast Track Innobideak, as well as the Provincial Council of Bizkaia’s 2i programme.

The public administration as a driver of innovation

The final two cases illustrate the role of the public administration as a driver of innovation.

The GeoBilbao platform, developed by the Municipal IT Centre and Bilbao City Council, is an example of how shared data can improve decision-making and coordination between municipal services. It integrates 1,129 geospatial datasets from a variety of sources, including municipal systems, urban sensors, digital building and infrastructure models (BIM), LiDAR technology, which uses laser pulses to map the environment in three dimensions, public transport, mobility and emergency services. This infrastructure provides access to up-to-date information and facilitates municipal management. It has more than 1,000 municipal users, with around 400 active users each day.

Ontzi Hub, meanwhile, is a project promoted by the ELIKA Foundation, based in Arkaute, Álava, with the participation of Basque Food Cluster, a private non-profit association based in Zamudio, Bizkaia. It encourages collaboration between Basque food companies and packaging and materials suppliers, technology organisations, knowledge institutions and public bodies. The initiative aims to develop solutions that contribute to safer, more sustainable and more competitive food packaging. Since 2023, it has worked on more than 40 innovation projects, many of them collaborative, and has mobilised more than €2.5 million in R&D&I investment.

Representatives of the eight selected case studies will present their initiatives in detail on 17 November at the 15th edition of Global Innovation Day, which will begin at 16:00 at the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao. Admission is free, subject to prior registration and venue capacity.